Monkey Power, American Dragon
by Aaron12
Summary: Caught in a magical sitch against an enemy she doesn't know, Kim's only hope to save a brainwashed Ron is to join forces with the American Dragon: Jake Long. But together, will they be enough to not only bring Ron back, but also to prevent the wicked Dark Dragon from returning to Earth?
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I have a confession to make. Ideally, this really IS a crossover story, combining the worlds of KIm Possible and American Dragon: Jake Long. The only reason I've chosen not to list it under 's new Crossover Section is primarily because I have at least one OC who I've placed in my Kim Possible stories and the last thing I want is people who are strictly "American Dragon: Jake Long" fans to get confused as to who certain people are. Nevertheless, those of you who are first-time readers and new to my foray into the Kim Possible universe might find yourselves scratching your heads in parts as well. So you might find it benefitial to look back over my previous stories, which I'm sure will answer any lingering questions you may have. The stories are listed as follows.

"Decisions, Decisions"  
"The More Things Change..."  
"Bonnie Double"  
"Home(s) Away from Home"

Anyway, that's enough of my shameless self-promotion. On with the story. I hope you enjoy it.

Kim Possible  
Monkey Power, American Dragon  
Part 1  
By Aaron

San Francisco, California. Approximately six months ago…

The bustling din of the city was little more than a mild hum amidst the ocean water lapping against the piers and boats docked in the harbor. While the Dockside warehouse district may not have been the most scenic locale that San Francisco had to offer, it was certainly peaceful and quiet in the middle of the night. But suddenly, a blinding flash streaked in through one of the warehouse's windows. A split-second later, a large body smashed through the concrete wall, driven into the warehouse by a beam of glittering light. The dragon form of none other than Chang, one time member, and now hunted outcast, of the World's Dragon Council. Stunned, she tried to rise to her feet, but only managed to find enough strength to turn her head and see a silhouetted figure walk up to the hole in the wall. His hair spiked high, dressed in black, and the long, wide tails of his custom-made tuxedo jacket flapping like a cape in the breeze, he twirled a long black cane in his hand, snapping it over his shoulder as he looked down at Chang straining to right herself.

"So…let me see if I got this straight," Maximillion Ambro slowly reviewed as he leaned against the side of the hole in the warehouse, adjusting his sunglasses, "Your plan…your BRILLIANT strategy…was to find a spellcaster…who was stronger than you…and convince that person…to help you bring back your master…another dragon…from the pocket dimension he's trapped in…so that he could take over all magic…and then rule the world. That part I got."

"But see, here's where you lose me," he continued as Chang still struggled to get to her feet. "If…you were told no…your backup plan…was then to ATTACK this person…who is stronger than you…and FORCE them…to do it anyway."

"Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a chess prodigy or a brilliant military tactician by any stretch of the imagination. But I can't help thinking that there's a REALLY big flaw in this plan," Max added in mock thoughtfulness, calmly walking into the warehouse. Suddenly, with a turn of his wrist, Chang was instantly lifted several inches off the ground. And with a flick of Max's hand, Chang was pulled through the air until she was stopped right in front of him, her face hovering just inches from his.

"Let's put our heads together and see if we can figure it out…'kay?" Max suggested with a cheesy grin before shoving the air in front of him and sending a panicked Chang shooting back through the warehouse, slamming into a nearby pile of crates. As Chang lay amidst the smashed boxes, letting out a dazed groan, Max simply walked across the room with a lighthearted bounce in his step, as if he didn't have a single care in the world.

"Thought of anything yet?" he called over, his face flashing another amused smirk. Chang, however, had had just enough of being humiliated as she suddenly got a second wind, rearing back up on her feet and lunging forward, unleashing a searing stream of dragon's fire straight towards Max. But to her shock, Max simply raised his hand, and the flames bundled into a swirling ball, floating just above his palm.

"Guess that means 'no', huh?" he responded with a smirk before slamming his hand into the warehouse floor, along with the fireball he'd collected. But Chang didn't have time to wonder what Max was doing, as just at that moment, the dragon fire she launched suddenly erupted into a towering geyser under her feet, sending her flying back into the crates she's just emerged from.

At that moment, Max could only shake his head with a hollow chuckle, until Chang's magical monkey servant, Bananas B., leaped down on him from a ceiling rafter, hoping to cause a distraction that would give Chang the opening she needed. But a simple snap from Max's fingers left Bananas B. hovering helplessly in mid-air, flailing wildly to try to escape until Max whipped his arm out and snatched him out of the air by his yellow jersey.

"GO…AWAAAYY!" Max growled menacingly, pulling his sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose to reveal a pair of glowing white eyes. Such a sight was more than a coward like Bananas B. could handle as he shrieked in fright, retreating into the shadows as soon as Max unceremoniously dropped him to the ground. With that minor nuisance out of the way, Max simply responded with a light chuckle before he turned his attention back to Chang, who at this point, was quite unable to make any offensive move against him. She didn't even have the energy to maintain her dragon form as she slowly became human again.

"Are we done? Can I go now?" he asked with a shrug, regaining his content demeanor as he righted his sunglasses again. "I mean, this was funny like, two minutes ago. But NOW you're just BORING me."

"Hnnnh…we'll see just how much your boasts are worth…the day my master returns…and every single one of you in the magical world is bowing and groveling at his feet…as you rightly should," Chang groaned, barely conscious as she once more tried to stand. Max, meanwhile, who had turned to leave, simply tossed a momentary glance over his shoulder before suddenly erupting into a howl of laughter that echoed throughout the entire warehouse.

"Let me tell you something, Lady," he remarked, clearly amused, "If your so-called 'master' was too WEAK or too STUPID to see what was coming down right on top of his pointy little head, then you know what? He got EXACTLY-WHAT-HE-DESERVED! And if by some miracle, you DO manage to bring him back…he's only going to get more of the same."

"Let him be," Max concluded, whirling around and walking back out of the warehouse the same way he came in. "Believe me, you'll be saving the both of you a LOT of grief."

With that, Max stepped outside, waving his hand and conjuring a cup of tea, from which he promptly took a sip. A moment later, he snapped his fingers and casually walked away as the concrete wall behind him repaired itself, leaving Chang lying in the darkness of the warehouse, seething in her frustration.

… … … …

Hong Kong. Today…

Her head concealed behind a wide hood, Chang was making sure not to attract any undue attention as she slowly made her way through the old residential alleys of Hong Kong, many of them having existed since the very first cities were built in the region. But Chang wasn't interested in history or ambience, focusing on how close she was to her destination. Although where she was going and why, she hadn't the faintest clue. All she knew was what was waiting for her when she arrived back at the small hovel she'd been hiding out in deep within the city. A piece of paper on what Chang laughably called her dining table, complete with an address and five simple words scrawled on the bottom in a cryptic message…

-I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT-

Eventually, the narrow alley Chang was walking down opened up to finally reveal her destination. A towering building loomed over her, possibly a residence at one time, but now abandoned and dilapidated, barely holding itself together. It was at this point that Chang would have sent Bananas B. on ahead to scout the location and check for any signs of traps or deception. Where WAS that stupid monkey, anyway? Always running off, never around when he might actually prove himself at least marginally useful. He hardly seemed worth the trouble sometimes, especially considering how much food he always managed to stuff into that tiny gut every day.

Still, Chang had come this far. The least she could do at that moment was see it through to the end. But being ever cautious as she opened the door and peered inside, she intended not to be more than a few steps away from the door, just in case she had to retreat at a moment's notice. A wise precaution, considering that the entire room inside the building was shrouded in darkness, which made Chang all the more uncomfortable as she slowly inched her way inside.

"I warn you, whoever is in here!" Chang called out, trying to assert herself against the unknown. "If this is an idea of a practical joke, you will quickly discover that I am not known for my sense of humor."

"Is that a fact?" a deep male voice sounded from the shadows, instantly putting Chang on the defensive. "Interesting. After all, I would have thought that considering all of the humiliating defeats you've suffered at the hands of the American Dragon, you would recognize a good joke when you saw it in the mirror."

"What?! How do you…?!" Chang exclaimed, clearly caught off guard by this hidden stranger's apparent wealth of knowledge. "Who ARE you?!"

"Ah, the REAL question you should be asking isn't who am I," the stranger announced, speaking in a firm voice of authority, but one that still sounded very familiar to her. "It's 'what can I do for YOU'?"

Before Chang could think to respond, a long, hooded robe partially emerged from the shadows, still concealing the stranger's face and hands. But with a wave of his arm, the stranger revealed a glowing white orb, which suddenly appeared in the center of the room. Cautiously, Chang moved in closer to investigate and as she inched her way forward, an image began to emerge within the ball. Distorted at first, the image eventually began to clear as Chang approached it. But as the image finally revealed its true form, there was nothing that could have possibly prepared Chang for the sight in front of her.

"M…Master?" she uttered in disbelief as the terrible face of the evil Dark Dragon appeared amidst the swirling mass of the dimensional limbo he was imprisoned in. And as he caught the sound of Chang's voice, his eyes immediately opened in shock, revealing that this was no mere illusion.

"Chang?!" he blurted out in surprise, unwilling to accept what his eyes were telling him, "How can this be?! What accursed trick of the mind is this?!"

"Oh, I assure you, this is no simple trick. But this is only the beginning," the stranger replied, instantly getting the attention of both Chang and the Dark Dragon. "This spell I have used only allows you to see and interact with objects in your dimensions, but it is merely a window to peer out of. But now the question is…would you like a door?"

The Dark Dragon spoke not a word, simply regarding the half-hidden newcomer with a look of undeniable suspicion. Who was this person to suddenly just appear and be making such grand claims? And even if he COULD be trusted to be true to his word, there was ultimately still the question…what would he be asking for in return? Chang, however, was all too willing to hear the stranger out. Knowing her dreams of magical conquest could not possibly be realized without the power of the Dark Dragon behind her, any chance to return him to Earth's dimension had to be explored.

"What must I do?" she asked simply.

"I know of a technique that will allow dimensional rifts to open that would normally be sealed," the stranger replied. "But it requires two specific items to be successful. I have already located the first in America."

With that, the stranger tossed a small scroll across the room which rolled along the ground before stopping at Chang's feet. Chang took a moment to carefully scan the item in question and its precise location as the stranger prepared to leave. But suddenly, he tossed a quick glance over his shoulder.

"Oh…one more thing," he mentioned. "In the event that you require assistance, you should find this item useful."

A brief sparkle flashed through the darkness as the stranger tossed one more item into Chang's waiting hand. But as she paused to gaze upon their mysterious gift, both she and the Dark Dragon became wide-eyed with surprise.

"This is…!" Chang exclaimed, clutching the glittering, aqua-colored amulet greedily. "But…this has been lost for centuries…!"

"I see you recognize it," the stranger replied, turning back into the shadows. "Then I needn't bother explaining its power. Use it well…and this task should prove no challenge for you. Nevertheless, I would suggest you avoid drawing any unnecessary attention to yourselves."

A moment later, the stranger was gone, leaving Chang and the Dark Dragon to contemplate their good fortune. The Dark Dragon, admittedly, was unable to prevent himself from flashing a wicked smirk before closing his eyes a moment later. Concentrating hard, the Dark Dragon's body suddenly began to emit a faint glow which transferred from the orb in a slow stream, infusing the amulet with its light. The glow lasted for only a brief moment, but Chang still curled her lips in a smile of anticipation as she walked out of the abandoned building, closing the door behind her.

… … … …

Back in the United States…the city of Middleton, to be specific…the only sights and sounds coming through the Possible home were of the simple fire burning away in the fireplace. With the rest of the family gone, Kim and Ron had moved the living room couch over so they could sit in front of it together while they still had the place to themselves. Rufus had drifted off to sleep on the top of the couch, ensuring no interruptions. And Kim herself clearly seemed to have no complaints as she curled up beside Ron, savoring the moment.

"See what I mean, Ron? This is nice," she observed, breaking the silence. "You know, just being together, letting the world pass us by. We don't have to be in a state of constant lip-lock for a night to be romantic."

"Oh…Well, yeah…I mean, sure. This is…you know…really…kinda…really…good…you know…," Ron replied, trying to sound more enthusiastic than he really was, even as his voice trailed off. But to Kim, Ron's response was just another part of his strange, cute charm that just made him so irresistible to her. So she simply gave him an amused smile and snuggled in closer. After all, as the warm glow flickered throughout the dimly lit room and the gentle crackling entered their ears, it was a moment between them where it seemed that everything was well and truly right with the world…

…

…

…

…

"How long have we been sitting like this now?" Kim asked dryly.

"…Thirty two seconds," Ron answered, after taking a moment to look at his watch.

"Mm," Kim mused, even as she rolled her eyes playfully before turning her attention back to Ron, "It's almost a minute."

"OOF!" Ron cried out as Kim lunged at him, tackling him down onto the couch. At that moment, the two of them couldn't help but laugh out loud hysterically. But after a few seconds, their laughter dwindled off into light giggles and then soft murmurs, uttered between the gentle sounds of loving kisses. At that moment, they could feel as if they were in a cartoon show, with tiny hearts fluttering up over their heads at that moment, each one popping away like a delicate bubble.

Just then, a familiar jingle of beeps pierced through the moment, bringing it to a most unwelcome end. Still, it was another second or two before Kim and Ron finally managed to ratchet themselves back up into a sitting position on the couch, both of them wearing an expression which indicated that they were clearly less than impressed.

"Waaaade…?" Kim spoke through her teeth as she and Ron both flashed a stern frown towards the Kimmunicator screen.

"Kim, I…oh no," Wade started to say, until he saw Kim and Ron's faces and instantly shrank back behind his desk. "You guys are giving me that look again."

"Do you have ANY idea how important this had better be?" Kim asked, the slow pace of her words indicating that she was trying exceptionally hard to keep her responses polite.

"Sorry, sorry," Wade groveled. "Someone just tripped the silent alarm at the Upperton museum of history. I just thought this would be an easy one…like, 10 minutes, okay? I promise, I won't call for the rest of the night."

"Uuhhh…let's go," Kim sighed, forcing herself up off the couch with Ron right behind her, who turned around just long enough to gently pick up a still-sleeping Rufus.

… … … …

"Aaahh!" the pudgy security guard cried out, diving to safety as a magical blast from Chang's staff smashed the Upperton museum's silent alarm.

"That was not very wise," Chang remarked threateningly in her dragon form as she stood over the guard, sprawled out on the floor.

"Wh…what is going on?! What are you?!" the trembling guard could only blurt out in shock and fright.

"A small, insignificant mortal like you would not believe me, even if I told you," Chang replied, whipping her tail around the guard's waist and yanking him towards her. "However, be that as it may, you may yet be of some small use to me…"

"…At least for the moment."

Before the guard knew what was happening, Chang slipped the amulet she'd received in Hong Kong around his neck. A quick blast of magical energy from her staff was all that was required to infuse the amulet with energy and a moment later, the guard's eyes became glazed over with a dull glow before slumping his head down lifelessly.

"I bid you welcome…Master," Chang boasted as the guard suddenly raised his head, his opening eyes still lightly glowing. A moment later, an eerie spectral image of none other than the Dark Dragon's head appeared, encasing itself over the guard's head as he responded simply with a grim smirk.

A moment later, Chang and the security guard, whose mind was now under the control of the Dark Dragon, burst out the museum doors, making a beeline through the empty parking lot. Neither one of them were particularly concerned about running into human authorities. Nevertheless, they HAD been warned to keep a low profile.

"Ah, we have the Phoenix Pendant. The first piece of the puzzle is now within our grasp," Chang gloated as they ran, clutching the golden chain which looped around a golden ornament with a small diamond lodged in the center.

"I still can't believe THESE are the depths I've been reduced to, forced to control the weak body of this fat mortal," the Dark Dragon responded, his mood far less festive. "Did you have to settle for the first pathetic human that crossed your path?"

"Forgive me, Master," Chang stated apologetically. "But I felt you would want to oversee this undertaking personally. Besides, it IS better than the alternative."

"Not by much," the Dark Dragon disputed. Before Chang could respond, the Dark Dragon used the guard's pass key to open the gates to the museum lot and make their escape. But no sooner were the two of them on the other side, than they were momentarily blinded by a pair of high beam headlights. Headlights that belonged to Kim Possible's car as she and Ron quickly stepped out of the front doors.

"Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I REALLY think you have something there in your hand that doesn't belong to you," Kim announced as she and Ron stood against the pair of would-be thieves. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid if you want historical trinkets, you're going to have to check out the museum's gift shop during the course of normal business hours."

"Yeah, not to mention that, considering what you're already wearing, that is WAY overkill," Ron added, pointing out the amulet around the guard's neck that was allowing him to be controlled by the Dark Dragon. "Dude, take it from someone who's tried to go down that road, okay? There REALLY is such a thing as too much bling."

"Such insolence!" Chang shouted in outrage. "You pitiful mortals would do well to curb your flippant attitude and acknowledge this world's future lord and master!"

"Uh huh…uh huh, yeah," Kim responded dismissively, the lights from her car making it too bright for her to see the image of the Dark Dragon's face as she squinted to read the security guard's nametag, "Look, no offense there…'Leonard'. But speaking as someone who's spent time with a few of those 'take-over-the-world' types, my first impression of you so far is that you might want to seriously consider a different career path. Because I have to say, I'm REALLY not liking your chances."

Glaring in anger, the amulet around the guard's neck began to shine more intensely. And the image of the Dark Dragon's face overlapping his own suddenly became more solid and visible, much to Kim and Ron's surprise.

"Okay, is that supposed to happen? Because I don't think that's supposed to happen!" Ron exclaimed, unsure of what to think. But they soon had other concerns as Chang let out an angry hiss, transforming into her dragon form and leaving Kim and Ron in even greater disbelief. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to be caught unawares, as Chang lashed out with a stream of magical energy from her staff, forcing Kim and Ron to dive for cover.

Rufus, who had been napping on Kim's dashboard, could only shriek and dive for cover onto the front seat, having been rudely awakened by one of Chang's magic blasts streaking past the passenger window. Kim, meanwhile, had other concerns as the Dark Dragon lunged towards her, trying to overpower her through the body of the security guard.

"Ron, I don't know what's going on here!" Kim called over as she managed to avoid the Dark Dragon's slow strikes with minimal effort. "But something tells me you're going to have to gear up for this sitch!"

"Already on it, KP!" Ron called back from behind Kim's car. Chang, meanwhile, was too busy throwing energy streams to notice Ron activating his Mystical Monkey Power just enough to drive his fist into the sidewalk under his feet, loosening up a small chunk of concrete. Chunks that made for a quick, handy weapon as he shot up from behind the car in between blasts, making a lucky throw which knocked Chang's staff flying out of her hand.

"Ha! Not so tough NOW without your little…AAAAH!" Ron's boasts were cut off as he dove behind the car again, narrowly avoiding the searing wave of dragon fire Chang blew at him. Meanwhile, Rufus, who was still in the car, could only squeal and chatter in panic as Chang's flames washed over the windshield like a blistering tide.

"Hey! Nobody tries to roast my car!" Kim shouted, having had just about enough weirdness for one night as she grabbed the guard and heaved his body over her shoulder, sending him rolling along the street.

"HEY! Nobody tries to roast MY mole rat!" Ron hollered, jumping out beside the car and charging towards Chang.

Chang, simply responded with another blaze of dragon fire, feeling completely unthreatened by Ron's outburst. But this time it was Ron's turn to go on the offensive with a flash of his Mystical Monkey Power glow, throwing his hands forward and unleashing a wave of force that not only smashed right through Chang's stream of fire, but hit Chang square in the chest. The impact send Chang flying backward, slamming into the wall surrounding the museum and knocking her out of her dragon form as she collapsed behind the bushes. With that danger passed, Ron powered down and gave a quick rap on the passenger side window, getting Rufus' attention.

"You okay buddy?" he called inside.

"Mmm hmm. O-kay!" Rufus replied with a grateful "thumbs up".

With Rufus' safety assured, Ron ran around to see to Kim. Not that he needed to. Kim was more than capable of handling the Dark Dragon in this current form as she charged in, delivering a running roundhouse kick across the guard's face and sending him flying before he finally hit the ground and lost consciousness. At that moment, the image of the Dark Dragon's head overlapping his own became undone, seeming to be forced back into the amulet he was wearing. Meanwhile, Chang had managed to slowly recover from Ron's attack, but was in no hurry to reveal herself to her enemies. She had other thoughts at that moment.

"Hmm, interesting…it would seem that one possesses powerful magical energies," Chang muttered to herself, regarding Ron with interest as he and Kim stood over the defeated guard, "It would appear we've stumbled upon a far more worthy vessel for my Master after all."

"'An easy one', huh? 'Ten minutes', huh?" Kim remarked, any patience she had left long since spent, "Yeah, right. Just what WAS that…THING?"

"No kidding, and what was the deal with this?" Ron added, removing the necklace from around the guard's neck.

"Uh, Ron? I REALLY don't think you should be touching…," Kim started to say, but her warning came too late as Chang burst from hiding, reclaiming her staff and firing a bolt of magical energy directly towards the amulet.

"RON!" Kim cried out, momentarily blinded by the flash. As her sight returned, she was more than relieved to see that Ron wasn't hurt. But her concerns immediately began to resurface as she noticed that Ron was simply standing rooted to the spot, almost as if he were paralyzed.

"Ron?" Kim called softly, pensively taking a few steps forward. Just then, she heard a sinister chuckle coming from Ron…only it wasn't his voice. But as Ron casually looped the amulet around his neck and turned to Kim with an evil smile, Kim immediately understood what was happening as the ghostly image of the Dark Dragon's head enveloped itself over Ron's.

"Who are you talking to?" The Dark Dragon replied with wicked amusement.

"Oh…that can't be good," Kim noted with a worried look. But her feelings were of little concern to the Dark Dragon as he lunged forward to attack. And Kim had just enough time to leap to safety as the Dark Dragon smashed Ron's fist into the street, right where she had just been standing. While Kim was distracted with dodging the Dark Dragon's strikes, Chang was quick to press the advantage and recollect their stolen prize.

But that was hardly Kim's immediate problem as she flipped back to dodge another of the Dark Dragon's attacks, landing on the chain line that surrounded the shrubbery in front of the gate. The chain shifted under her weight and Kim was unable to recover in time, falling backward into the bushes. With Kim momentarily disposed of, the Dark Dragon turned back into the direction of her car, flashing a stern glare towards Rufus, who could only let out a frightened whimper and dive into the glove compartment to safety. It would be another few seconds before Kim managed to fight her way back onto her feet. But by the time that happened, the Dark Dragon and Chang had both disappeared into the night, with Ron's body along for the ride.

"Wade, I'm going to see Max," Kim announced over the Kimmunicator as she ran to her car, "Looks like our 'ten minutes' just went into overtime."

… … … …

"Uh huh…nope. Never seen it before," Max remarked simply, gazing at the image of the amulet on the Kimmunicator screen before turning back into his apartment loft. But he barely got half a step before a firm tug on the back of his shirt from Kim stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Okay, see…that REALLY wasn't the answer I was looking for," Kim replied with Rufus perched on her shoulder, each flashing Max a harsh gaze. "Look, whatever this thing did to that security guard, it's doing it to Ron now, too. You're going to tell me you don't know ANYTHING?"

"What can I tell you?" Max answered with a shrug. "I know I look like a walking encyclopedia on the subject. But seriously, do you know how much magic there actually is in the world? I mean, I'm lucky if I even know a QUARTER of what's out there."

"Well, do you think maybe you know something about her?" Kim asked, flashing Chang's picture up on the Kimmunicator screen, much to Max's surprise. "Look, I know this is going to sound weird…well, maybe not weird for you…but I think she actually turned into what looked like a…"

"…dragon," Max concluded, getting Kim's attention as he sighed heavily and ran his hand down his face in aggravation, "It just HAD to be dragons."

"So…wait a minute," Kim responded with concern and confusion. "You're telling me that we're actually talking about…REAL dragons?"

… … … …

"What…have…you…DONE?!" the mysterious stranger shouted furiously upon Chang and the Dark Dragon's return to the abandoned building in Hong Kong. "YOU FOOLS! Did I not warn you to keep a low profile?!"

"How dare you?!" Chang yelled back in protest, flashing the Phoenix Pendant into view. "Did we not successfully acquire the talisman you requested?!"

"You think that's all you've done?!" the stranger argued as he flashed a second glowing sphere next to the one featuring the Dark Dragon, who was still meditating in order to control Ron through the amulet. The second sphere, however, showed a repeat of the events in Upperton, closing with a close-up view of Kim's face.

"Thanks not only to your bungling thievery, but also your foolish choice to control that boy's body with the amulet," the stranger continued to shout, "you incompetent dimwits have now brought Kim Possible down upon our heads!"

"Bah! A puny mortal girl…What possible threat could SHE be?" the Dark Dragon remarked, using Ron's powered up fist to smash a concrete joist that had collapsed long ago. "Even if she were to interfere, with this boy's power, she would have no hope against us. Granted, his magic pales in comparison to my own dark powers, but…"

"Enough! This is no time for your empty boasts!" the stranger cut in. "Have you forgotten that amulet's weakness?"

"I am well aware of its limitation," the Dark Dragon replied confidently. "But I will maintain control over this body for as long as I have need of it."

"Even if you can, that 'puny mortal girl', as you call her, is still far more dangerous than you know," the stranger continued, his voice lowering to a grumble. "She's probably already gone to…him."

"Who?" Chang was compelled to ask.

"Never mind," the stranger answered, thinking out loud to himself before addressing Chang and the Dark Dragon once more. "I no longer have the time I thought I had. This requires an acceleration of the plan. Remain here until I return with the location of the second artifact."

"And exactly how much longer are we to act as your lackeys?" Chang asked indignantly as the stranger began to disappear into the shadows once again.

"I don't recall stating that this arrangement was negotiable. Do you want my help or not?" the stranger replied with an impatient tone as he took a parting glance over his shoulder. With that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Chang and the Dark Dragon unable to argue the point.

"When this is over, I intend to teach that fool a particularly harsh lesson in respect," Chang muttered angrily.

"Once he has fulfilled his part of the bargain and I am free to walk this world once more, I will see that you do," the Dark Dragon replied menacingly as they waited to see where they would be headed next.

… … … …

"So, let me take this from the top and see if I've got it straight," Kim reviewed as she walked along the streets of New York City with Max, now dressed in his mission clothes. "You're telling me that dragons have always had the ability to turn into humans…and there's this Dragon's Council that's like, a police force for magic?"

"If you can call it that," Max replied, switching his focus as he began muttering to himself. "Bunch of arrogant, toothless bureaucrats…care more about flaunting their own authority than doing their jobs half the time…I mean, where do they get off…?"

"I thought we were talking about helping ME," Kim interjected with a firm tone.

"Right, sorry," Max answered, getting back on track. "Anyway, you remember that one incarnation of mine that went down to Yamanouchi a couple centuries back? Well, before that, he made a little stopover in Hong Kong where he met a dragon by the name of Xiao-Wen Luong. I remember they became pretty good friends. It's the earliest memory I have about dealing with dragons."

"Okay, so why are we in New York?" Kim was forced to ask.

"Well, after I got all those past memories pumped into my head back in England, I thought I'd do some checking to see if I could find out whatever happened to the guy," Max answered. "Turns out, he had a great-grandson who used to be the official Chinese Dragon and then came to America in the 1970s. I even found an address for him."

"So you're thinking we can talk to the great-grandson and maybe he can help us figure some things out," Kim deduced with a knowing nod.

"Well, that's assuming he's even still alive," Max replied, with an unsure shrug. "He'd be an old man today. His name is…"

… … … …

"AIYAA! FU DOG!" Lao Shi Luong shrieked at the top of his lungs from inside his electronics shop. "What happened to all the money in the cash register?!"

"It's right here. I'm counting it just like to asked me! I mean, come on. What did you THINK was going to happen?" Fu replied innocently from the adjoining counter. Of course, his question hardly needed an answer, as Lao Shi simply followed up with a stern look before walking into the back room.

"Rrrnn, I tell ya, you bet a month's receipts on one lousy centaur race and suddenly, you can't be trusted with nothin' around here," Fu muttered to himself. But his complaints were only met with more stern looks from the rest of the store. Namely Lao Shi's grandson, Jake Long, the first American Dragon and his two friends, Trixie Carter and Arthur "Spud" Spudinski, who were helping Lao Shi tidy up around the store.

"What?!" Fu protested. "The bookie I talked to said it was a LOCK!"

"Come on, Fu, just stop!" Jake demanded sternly. "I really don't want to hear it today."

"Whoa, talk about frosty," Fu remarked, taken aback by Jake's rather unusual lack of understanding. "Who snuck the vitamins into YOUR kibble today, kid?"

"Aw, don't mind him, Fu," Trixie answered teasingly. "He's just in a funk 'cause he got in a fight with Rose."

"Trixie!" Jake shouted.

"Oooo, trouble in paradise," Fu stated, rubbing his paws in anticipation. "Alright…come on, give it up. I want to hear every juicy detail."

"I don't want to talk about it," Jake mumbled under his breath.

"Oh well, apparently, Rose is kind of in a mood right now because she and Jake can only have dates through Dream charms," Spud explained in his usual simple demeanor.

"Spud!" Jake shot back.

"Uh oh, and what did YOU say?" Fu inquired, tossing Jake a suspicious eye.

"Well, you know…I…MAY have said something like…it doesn't matter whether it's a dream or not as long as we get to see each other," Jake answered nervously, "and…from there…it…all kind of…face-planted."

"Oh, kid…," Fu could only mutter, slapping a paw to his forehead.

"What?!" Jake exclaimed, now his turn to protest as Fu walked into the back room, shaking his head and muttering.

"Aw, come on, Jakie. I mean, think about it," Trixie argued. "The girl wants her boo an' he ain't around. How do you THINK she's going to feel?"

"Trixie's got a point, dude," Spud chimed in. "You HAD to know how this was gonna go down, right? I mean, Rose is all the way in Hong Kong and you're…well, not."

"You think I don't get that?" Jake immediately responded, even though his voice trailed off. "It's…just that…"

"Uh, excuse me," Kim's voice cut in as she walked through the door, with Max right behind her. "Hi. I was wondering if maybe we could find someone here named…"

"I am NOT just seeing this," Trixie interrupted, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging open in disbelief. "Oh TELL me I am not just seeing this. It's…it's…"

"No way! KIM POSSIBLE!!!" Spud squealed in excitement, actually leaping over Trixie to get up front, much to Kim's surprise.

"Uh…Kim WHO?" Jake asked, unsure himself of exactly what to think.

"Oh no you didn't!" Trixie shouted, getting in Jake's face. "You're gonna tell me that you've never heard of THE Kim Possible?!"

"Miss Possible, this is…oh wow!" Spud blurted instinctively, completely star struck, "This is like three years worth of birthday wishes, Christmas wishes and shooting stars all piled into one! It's just…you hope for this moment for so long and then when it finally comes, you don't know what to…would you autograph my face?!"

"I'm sorry, don't mind him. He's just an idiot," Trixie chimed in, shoving Spud out of the way with a nervous laugh. "It's just…Miss Possible…can I call you Kim…? I mean this is with all due respect but…EEEEEEEE…!!!"

Trixie's fangirl shriek reverberated off the shops walls, but at that moment, her voice was suddenly and mysteriously cut off. Kim was as surprised as anyone, but when she looked over, her eyes widened in shock to see both Trixie and Spud frozen in time, their bodies strangely glittering. But it only took Kim a brief second to recognize THAT familiar twinkle.

"MAX!" she scolded, whirling around as he wiggled his fingers, finishing the spell to keep Trixie and Spud frozen.

"What?" Max said with a shrug. "Are we in a hurry or not?"

"What did you do to them?!" Jake shouted, flying into a rage as he transformed into his dragon form, ready to leap in and attack. But Max put a quick stop to that with a snap of his fingers, binding Jake in a set of glowing bands.

"Now just calm down," Max stated, gently lowering Jake's immobilized body to the ground. "Nothing's happened to them…they're perfectly fine. And they're not going to stay that way, alright? It's just that we're not exactly made of time right now."

"Well, looks like we came to the right place, alright," Kim noted, looking over Jake's dragon form.

"Yeah, the kid COULD be his grandson," Max mused. But before Jake could ask what was going on, Fu Dog happened to walk back into the room.

"Hey, what's all the hubbub goin' on out here…?" he asked, until the sight of Kim and Max standing in a room with a frozen Trixie and Spud and a restrained Jake were all the answers he needed. "Uh…oooooooooookaaaaaaaaayyyyy."

"Wait a minute," Max said, his eyes widening slightly from behind his sunglasses. "Fu? It IS Fu, right?"

"Uuuuhhhh," Fu stuttered, his eyes darting left and right as though he wasn't sure what answer he should give. "Look, if this is about that loan from last month, I already told the guy, the check's in the mail, I swear."

"Well, it sure doesn't sound like you've changed," Max remarked, snapping his fingers and vanishing Jake's restraints. "Hi, the name's Maximillion Ambro."

"Mmm…never heard of ya, kid," Fu replied dismissively.

"No," Max continued. "But you knew a man named Jonathan Aria."

"What? Well, yeah…I mean, he was…Hey, wait a minute," Fu cut himself off as he squinted his eyes tightly, looking over Max carefully, who simply responded with a knowing smirk.

"No way…" Fu uttered in disbelief as his eyes grew big. "Johnny boy…? Is that really you?"

"Not for a while," Max replied simply. "Doesn't look like you managed to keep the weight off, huh?"

"Heeeeeeeyyy!" Fu shouted ecstatically, standing up and holding out his front paws in welcome. "How ya doin', man? Talk about long time, no see. At least you look better than the last guy I saw you as."

"I'll choose to ignore that," Max commented, giving Fu a friendly pat on the head.

"Uh, Fu, you mind giving me the 4-1-1 on just what's goin' down here?" Jake had to ask, still too confused about the situation to even transform out of his dragon form yet.

"Oh, relax kid, he's good people. You've got nothin' to worry about with him," Fu explained reassuringly. "Believe it or not, he used to pal around with your great-great-great-grandfather another lifetime ago. I mean, you want to talk about magic, there is NOBODY you want to have on your side more than the guy standing right here, okay?"

Before Jake could even think to ask for clarification, a blinding flash popped up from the side. Instinctively, everyone whirled around to see none other than the obnoxious Hans Rotwood…Jake's principal and obsessive-compulsive, would-be monster hunter…with a smile from ear to ear and a digital camera locked in his trembling fingers.

"Hah! I knew it! I knew you would drop your guard sooner or later, Long!" Rotwood gloated, his voice especially squeaky as he cackled in triumph. "At last, after all these years, the proof of a magical world is…right…here in the…palm…of…my…haaaaannnnnn…"

Kim, Jake and Fu could only look on in surprise as Rotwood suddenly slumped over and his once twinkling eyes became sullen and glazed over. Max, it seemed, had wasted no time in dispatching this annoyance with a slow, downward wave of his hand. With Rotwood successfully entranced, Max casually walked over, lightly plucking the camera out of his hand and flipping through the saved pictures until he found the one Rotwood had just snapped, immediately erasing it. With that, he placed the camera back in Rotwood's hand before leaning over and looking him straight into his dead eyes.

"You didn't see nothin'," Max said straightforwardly before patting Rotwood on the head with a wicked grin. "Now…go away."

"Yes, I will…go away now," Rotwood replied blankly as he slowly turned and shambled off down the street in a daze.

Jake could only look on in bewilderment before finding the presence of mind to change back into his human form. But Fu could only give a most satisfied grin. There was no doubt in his mind anymore.

"See kid, what did I tell ya?" he said confidently. "Is this guy good or what?"

"Uh, yeah, don't think this hasn't been fun because it hasn't," Kim stated, her patience wearing thin. "But can we get back to the sitch at hand, please?"

"What? You came to see the old man?" Fu deduced, grabbing one of Max's jacket tails and leading him into the back room. "Well, come on, come on. You know, his great-grandfather used to tell him about ol' Johnny all the time. Trust me, he'll be glad to meet'cha."

"Uh, hold up. Are…we gonna do something about them?" Jake was forced to ask, motioning over to Trixie and Spud, who were still frozen in their excitement.

"Oh, it's okay, don't worry. They'll keep," Max replied simply as Fu led him into the back room with Kim close behind. There didn't seem to be anything more Jake could do. So he simply shrugged his shoulders and walked into the back himself, leaving Trixie and Spud in their motionless state.

… … … …

"Okay, so…rewind it back," Jake stated, trying to wrap his head around the last few minutes. "You're saying that this guy right here…used to be MERLIN? As in, like…THE Merlin?"

"Look kid, take it from someone who knows. I've seen what he can do…well, not HIM him, but one of the guys he USED to be," Fu replied as Max and Kim conferred with Lao Shi. "Trust me, THIS guy makes Eli Pandarus look like a two-bit sideshow act."

"There is no doubt. Chang has returned…although I HAD hoped we would not hear from her again so quickly," Lao Shi commented grimly as he observed the images on the Kimmunicator screen. "I admit, I am unfamiliar with this particular amulet. But it is clear that the Dark Dragon is using it to seize control of your friend."

"But how?" Jake chimed in. "He's supposed to be trapped in that other dimension with the Dragon Temple for a thousand years."

"I am not certain," Lao Shi replied, clearly as confused as Jake. "It does not seem possible that Chang, alone, could accomplish such a feat. But however it was achieved, it is almost certain that whatever they are planning will involve the Dark Dragon returning to our world."

"Wait a minute…pocket dimension…," Max muttered to himself before his eyes suddenly widened. "What was that item they stole from the museum again?"

"Hmmm," Fu replied, opening up one of Lao Shi's various books on magic. "It's called the Phoenix Pendant. Apparently, it was forged by phoenix feathers, created to withstand massive amounts of magical energy. And according to this, the jewel in the center acts as a lens which can direct those energies, focusing them and making them even more intense."

"That's how they're going to do it…," Max uttered under his breath, almost in disbelief. "I knew how desperate she was, but…Oh, of all the stupid…"

"What?!" Kim exclaimed. "How about giving some of us who aren't current a quick update?"

"It's a very crude method and it's extremely risky. But it IS possible to open sealed dimensional barriers with a powerful enough burst of magical energy," Max explained. "But that pendant's only going to take them so far. They're going to need more than that."

"Like oh, say, maybe…this?" Fu asked, turning to another page and flashing the image in front of them.

"Oooo…that would do it," Max replied with a worried glance. "Please tell me no one knows where that thing is."

"It's, uh…in a museum," Fu answered, rather hesitantly, "In…Hong Kong."

"Okay…That's REALLY not what I wanted to hear," Jake remarked.

"All I know is, you guys lost me at 'risky'," Kim chimed in, storming out of the back room. "If this has any chance of my boyfriend getting hurt, you'd better believe I am SO not for it."

With that, Kim and the others dashed out of the store, with Fu brushing up against a still frozen Trixie and nearly knocking her over. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to snap back and straighten her teetering body to keep it from falling before heading back outside again.

… … … …

"Aw, why don't I get to go to Hong Kong?" Haley Long complained as Kim and the others made a quick detour at the Long home. "I can help out too, you know. Besides, I want to see Jake fighting with Rose."

"Thanks a lot," Jake responded, clearly irked as he turned his attention back to his cell phone. "Rose, just…would you listen to me, please?"

"I am sorry, Haley, but we need you to remain here, should an emergency arise that requires the services of the American Dragon," Lao Shi explained. "I also need you to inform Sun Park of what has occurred. If we should fail, she will know what to do."

"See what I mean when I told you those creeps in the Dragon's Council were idiots?" Max whispered to Kim. "They act all high and mighty and here they are, sending KIDS out onto the front lines! It's ridiculous!"

"Jake and Haley are both more than capable of shouldering the responsibility they have been given," Lao Shi argued, fiercely defensive of his grandchildren. "After all, Jake himself was responsible for the downfall of the Huntsman, as well as the elimination of the entire Huntsclan."

"YOU did that," Max stated in Jake's direction, clearly impressed. "I'd heard someone had. Good on you, kid. Gotta tell you, if thing's had gotten much worse, I was starting to think I'd have to take down that lunatic myself."

"Yeah, thanks," Jake replied dismissively, his attention clearly on other matters. "Look Rose, we're going to be there in just a few minutes. We just need you to keep an eye on that cauldron and make sure no one goes near it, okay?"

"Oh, so now that it's an EMERGENCY, I actually get to SEE you now, is that it?" Rose responded angrily from the Hong Kong museum, dressed in her monster fighting clothes with her hair braided. Behind her was a display with a large black pot, with a label that simply read, "The Dragon's Cauldron".

"Aw, come on, Rose. We don't have TIME for this," Jake replied, trying desperately to be the voice of reason.

"You know what, Jake? That's EXACTLY the problem. You NEVER have time!" Rose argued.

"Rose look, just…just watch the thing, okay?" Jake shot back, trying not to be too aggressive. "And whatever happens, don't try to be a hero! We're gonna be right there any minute, okay?"

"Maybe you've forgotten, Jake, but I don't exactly need you to come running to my rescue. I'm a big girl, I can look after myself," Rose answered sternly before slapping her cell phone shut. But as she turned around in a huff, she was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted her as a transformed Chang loomed over Ron's body, his head still engulfed by the image of the Dark Dragon.

"Oh…I am going to absolutely relish this," the Dark Dragon hissed, eager for revenge against Rose, who was primarily responsible for his dimensional imprisonment.

"ENOUGH, YOU FOOLS!" a voice boomed through the hall as the mysterious hooded stranger's face appeared in a shimmering ball of light. "This is no time for you to satisfy your petty vendettas! Get the cauldron and return at once!"

"You dare presume authority over me!" The Dark Dragon snarled in defiance. "I will NOT be denied my rightful…!"

"Unless you want to remain floating in that lifeless void, you will not say ONE-MORE-WORD!" the stranger shouted back, finally rendering the Dark Dragon silent. "Now be quick. Time is not your friend."

With that, the stranger's image vanished, leaving Chang and the Dark Dragon both to stare down Rose. Rose, meanwhile, held her ground. But since she couldn't just go strolling into a museum with any of her old Huntsclan weapons, her offensive options at that moment were quite limited as the wicked pair slowly made their way towards her.

"Then it would seem I'll simply have to enjoy this as much as I can," the Dark Dragon remarked simply.


	2. Chapter 2

Kim Possible  
Monkey Power, American Dragon  
Part 2  
By Aaron

It took another few minutes before Jake, Lao Shi and Fu were ready, but as soon as they were, Max had them popping into the museum with Kim in a puff of smoke and glitter. Of course, this was hardly noticed by anyone in the museum, all of who were all hustling outside to the sounds of blaring alarms.

"Okay, that's NEVER a good sign," Kim announced as the group dashed through the adjoining corridors to where the Dragon's Cauldron was being housed. But when they got there, all they found was an empty display…and Rose's legs sprawled out from behind a nearby corner.

"ROSE!" Jake shouted in panic, rushing over to her. Luckily, she seemed fine enough, letting out a dazed groan as she was starting to come to.

"Oh, man, are you okay, darlin'?" Fu asked while Jake helped her to her feet.

"I'll be fine," Rose answered with a trembling voice, wincing slightly as she clutched her chest. "The Dark Dragon…that body he's controlling…it may not look like much, but that guy's got a fist like a steel I-beam. I didn't think ANYONE could hit like that."

"Ron…," Kim could only voice under her breath as she looked up towards the skylight overhead, her eyes filled with worry. Rufus, meanwhile, who had been with her the whole time, could only whimper as Kim tried to calm him by gently stroking his head.

"Just stay calm," Lao Shi responded calmly, "Take a moment to catch your breath."

"Jake…they're not doing this alone," Rose was quick to mention, looking into Jake's eyes with worry. "I never saw his face, but…someone's helping them."

"Aw, man…," Jake uttered under his breath, inwardly cursing himself for not getting there sooner, even with Max's magic transporting them. But Max was soon needed for an even quicker exit as they were alerted by the shouts of approaching security guards. And that exit was exactly what he provided, whisking the entire group away in his trademark puff of glittering smoke before the guards could reach the room.

… … … …

"Okay, my parents aren't going to be home until late," Rose announced as she closed the door of her apartment behind her. "This is as good a place as any to hole up until we know what we're going to do next."

"I'm afraid our next move is all too obvious," Lao Shi replied. "If their intention is to return the Dark Dragon to this dimension, there is only one place they will ultimately be heading."

"Victoria Peak," Jake chimed in, finishing his grandfather's thought.

"I must contact Sun Park immediately and inform her of this recent turn of events," Lao Shi added, as he set off to find a phone.

No sense for everyone else to just stand around like statues. Jake and Rose walked their separate ways, although they each gave the other a lingering look before parting. Fu plopped down on the couch to leaf through one of Lao Shi's magic books while Max simply conjured up himself his trademark cup of tea. Kim, meanwhile, walked away from the group and made her way to Rose's balcony, staring out over the Hong Kong skyline.

But even the endless sea of lights spread out before her like a blanket of stars could give her no comfort as she propped herself up over the balcony railing, her fists clenching tighter and tighter. After all, there was only one thing she had on her mind at that point…or one person. And so far in the early goings, these new allies weren't yielding the kind of results she had been hoping for. Rufus, it seemed, was thinking the exact same thing as he scampered off Kim's shoulder to sit on the edge of the railing, sniffling and whining.

"I know, Rufus. It's okay," Kim sighed heavily, patting him on the head, "We'll get him back…somehow…"

"I FOUND IT!" Fu shouted excitedly, bringing everyone else running into the room. And sure enough, projecting from the book for all to see was an exact image of the same amulet that had started this whole mess for Kim and Ron.

"That's it, alright," Kim noted immediately.

"It's called the Amulet of Mind's Eye," Fu explained, scanning over the item's description. "Apparently, if someone has a strong enough will, they can actually project a piece of their own consciousness into it. And if the amulet gets a jolt of magical energy, it automatically activates, allowing that consciousness to override the thoughts of anyone who happens to be in contact with it."

"Now we know how the Dark Dragon is controlling your partner," Lao Shi observed. "The only issue now is removing it."

"Waitaminute, waitaminute…so all we're talking about is mind control here?" Max asked, only to roll his eyes and wipe his brow in relief, his knees buckling together. "Oh thank you! For a while there, I thought we might ACTUALLY have a problem."

"Excuse me?" Kim responded with a suspicious glare. "Would you mind clarifying that? What exactly about this ISN'T a problem?"

"Okay, you've already seen what spiritual possession does, right? Well, mind control is a SIMILAR thing, but it's a lot more unstable. ESPECIALLY if we're talking about MAGIC users," Max explained. "See, not all magic is created equal. Some types are uniquely tailored to a specific user. So even if someone wanted to use mind control on them, they'd still have to keep a certain percentage of the host's conscious mind active in order to access their magic. The problem is, it's a VERY fine line. The more of the host's consciousness you suppress, the less of their magic is available to you. BUT…if you open up too MUCH of the host's consciousness, they can fight back and regain control."

"Ron's Mystical Monkey Power! That's it!!" Kim exclaimed, her eyes coming alive with a glimmer of hope.

"You mean…the Mystical Monkey Power of Tai Shing Pec Whar? Him…?" Lao Shi remarked in surprise.

"You're saying that kid's got Mystical Monkey Power?" Fu chimed in, his eyes going wide before turning his attention to Rose. "Oh, man…well, don't feel bad for losin' NOW sweetheart. There was NO WAY you could've beaten HIM."

"The point is, now that we have a WEAKNESS…now we have a PLAN," Kim stated, activating the Kimmunicator before tossing a sly grin in Max's direction. "Hey Wade…Max needs to pick something up for me."

… … … …

Seconds later, Max had returned with the item in question, concealed within thin suit bag on a clothes hanger. And Kim was only too happy to receive it as she gently tapped fists with Max and flashed a confident smirk before going to find a bathroom to change. But her attention was momentarily diverted when she noticed Jake sitting on the couch, looking over at Rose in the next room with a longing gaze and a heavy sigh.

"Hey…had a fight?" she felt compelled to ask, getting Jake's attention.

"Huh? Yeah…kinda," Jake replied half-heartedly. "Guess it's sort of obvious, huh?"

"A little bit," Kim answered, pulling up a bench to sit across from him. "I've seen that look on a lot of faces in my time. I've probably given it more than a few times too."

"It's just…I don't want to fight with her," Jake went on, giving Rose another passing glance. "I just don't know what to do or say to make things better instead of worse."

"No one ever DOES," Kim stated, her voice trying to sound reassuring as she paused before reaching out and putting hand on Jake's shoulder. "It's NEVER easy to go through. It's just a simple fact of life…you're GOING to have fights. Everybody does, you can't avoid it. But when it DOES happen, well…just take it from someone who's knocked heads with HER guy a couple of times…"

"…Don't EVER walk away mad. Believe me, you have NO idea how much harder it makes things."

With that, Kim walked off to change, leaving Jake to toss Rose another lingering stare. But just at that moment, Rose happened to turn towards him with a wistful look of her own. And as their eyes met, it was obvious to Jake just by looking at her that she was feeling the exact same thing HE was going through.

… … … …

"You should have let Haley and I come with you," Sun Park declared over the speaker phone to Lao Shi as Max walked into the room to check on the conversation.

"I am sorry, Sun, but we had no time to bolster our forces. As it is, we were ALREADY too late to prevent the theft of the cauldron," Lao Shi responded. "We are already formulating a plan of attack, but we need you to remain where you are and take appropriate action in case we fail."

"I already HAVE begun to take action," Sun answered simply.

"What kind of action?" Lao Shi asked curiously as Max's eyes suddenly widened.

"Pleasedon'tsayyoutoldtheDragon'sCouncil, pleasedon'tsayyoutoldtheDragon'sCouncil, pleasedon'tsayyoutoldtheDragon'sCouncil," Max pleaded under his breath, his face filled with worry. Sun, however, seemed unusually hesitant in her answer.

"…I…"

"D'AAAAAAOOOOOO!!! WHY DID YOU DO THAAAAAAAT?!?!" Max wailed into the phone, nearly shattering Sun's eardrum in the process. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!?! YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE IDIOTS ARE GONNA DO!!!"

"Maximillion, calm down," Lao Shi responded, trying to be reassuring, "I am sure the Dragon's Council will only do what it feels is right."

"Oh, you've been around too long to be that naïve!" Max argued, as Jake, Rose and Fu ran into the room. "You and I BOTH know that the Dragon's Council is a POLITICAL institution! There's ONE thing they care about MORE than doing their job and that's preserving their power base! And if this Dark Dragon is REALLY a threat to that power, you know how they're going to react! They're going to panic and they're going to choose to do something they're not SUPPOSED to do!"

"You must calm yourself. All will be well," Lao Shi continued, even though he WAS well aware that his words were merely a half-truth. "If you would like, I will venture to the Island of Draco myself and…"

"No, forget it! I'LL handle this!" Max concluded, cutting him off. "You guys just get to the top of that peak as fast as you can! I'll be right behind you!"

Max had already made his decision. Before anyone could even think to try and stop him, he disappeared in a puff of glittering smoke and was long gone. At that moment, however, Kim happened to poke her head into the room.

"Is something going on in here?" she asked, although the lingering curls of Max's smoke immediately made her suspicious. "Where's Max?"

"Uh…okay, listen…funny story. Uuummmmmm…" Fu tried to answer, but was at a loss to come up with an explanation. At the same time, the others could only respond with rolled eyes, hanging heads and shrugged shoulders, while Kim simply flashed a stern glance.

… … … …

At the same time, on the Island of Draco, a crucial meeting was taking place. So crucial, that even the doors to the Dragon's Council Chamber were barred shut, allowing entrance to no one but those scheduled to attend. Gathered within the main hall of the chamber were the four remaining members of the World's Dragon Council… Counselor Kulde, the European Dragon… Counselor Andam, the African Dragon…Counselor Kukulkhan, the Central American Dragon…and Counselor Omina, the Atlantean Dragon…as well as a dozen of the strongest dragon representatives from all over the world. Given the gravity of the situation Sun Park had outlined to them, the Counselors now had themselves a grim decision to make.

"The vote is in," Counselor Omina announced solemnly. "The decision is unanimous."

"So be it," Counselor Kulde declared. "We all know what is at stake. To prevent the dreaded Dark Dragon from returning to this world, we WILL take whatever actions are necessary…even if it means forfeiting the life of the mortal he now controls."

"Uh, I'd like to call for a recount on that!" a voice echoed from the far end of the hall.

Instantly, the gathered Dragons looked towards the entrance. And there wasn't a single one not stunned as Maximillion stepped out of the shadows, twirling his cane and snapping it over his shoulder as he strode towards them. Hushed tones and whispers of "The Timeless One" could be heard uttered among the various representatives. It would seem that Max's reputation in the world of magic had indeed preceded itself.

"You have no voice in this hall, wizard!" Counselor Andam shouted, pointing a defiant finger in Max's direction.

"Good point…not remotely interested," Max replied with a simple grin, not slowing his pace for even an instant. "Now…correct me if I am incorrect. But it seemed to me that you guys were getting ready to do something really, REALLY stupid."

"Any and all steps MUST be taken to insure the Dark Dragon does not continue his campaign of magical conquest…even eliminating the mortal host who now contains his thoughts," Counselor Kukulkhan stated plainly. Max's response to his words, however, was a wave of his hand, sealing the hall's entrance behind a glowing barrier.

"Yeah, see…that's a problem," Max remarked. "That 'mortal host' you're all talking about…he just happens to be a friend of mine."

"We do not have the luxury of ideals or emotional attachments when it comes to a threat of this scope," Counselor Kulde argued. "The Dark Dragon is STILL considered the single greatest threat to the magical world."

"The single greatest threat to YOU, you mean," Max shot back, shaking his head with an almost amused smirk. "Huh, 200 years and you people haven't changed a bit."

"If the Dark Dragon is released again…" Counselor Omina began to state.

"It won't happen," Max answered with a firm tone, cutting her off.

"Are you prepared to wager your life on that?" Counselor Andam asked sternly.

"Won't have to," Max replied. "And neither will YOU, if that's what you're worried about. You've got two dragons, a slayer, a wizard and two mortals who've saved the world more times than ANY of you! And they're going to be making sure that guy stays put!"

"You cannot guarantee that your alliance with the American Dragon will bring you victory in this battle," Counselor Kulde disputed. "And should you fail, it will be far too late. We must act NOW!"

"Yeah, and you can't guarantee that YOUR plan will work, either. You're all just so scared that you're going with what YOU think is the simplest solution…a POUND of prevention for an OUNCE of cure," Max remarked. "See, that's the problem with you guys. I've spent maybe an HOUR with that Long kid and I can already tell you that I've seen more heart and guts in him than every single one of you in this room COMBINED could ever HOPE to have. Not that you guys have a whole lot of hope, anyway."

"Sacrificing an innocent mortal for the preservation of the state…," he added with a hollow chuckle, removing his sunglasses before facing the entire hall with glowing white eyes, "…Not while I'M here to answer to."

Now was long past the time for words as the Dragon's Council and their representatives each transformed, ready to force their way through Max if necessary. But Max wasn't giving an inch either, as a column of white light erupted from his body. At this point, he was more than prepared for what was to come next.

"You guys want to get through me?" he announced in welcome, waving every single one of them over as his voice lowered to a twisted hiss, "YOU'RE-WELCOME-TO-TRY."

… … … …

Between Chang's flight and the Dark Dragon using Ron's Mystical Monkey Power to scale up the side of Victoria Peak, it took little effort for either of them to reach the spot where the Dragon's Temple had once stood…and would stand again in another millennium. But if their plans came to fruition, they might very well see it much sooner than that. The only question was whether or not their mysterious benefactor would make good on his word.

"Well, we've arrived. Where is that insufferable worm?" the Dark Dragon asked, not seeing the stranger anywhere in the area. Just then, Chang happened to catch sight of a shadowy figure standing on a cliffside overlooking the grounds.

"There he is," she answered as the stranger waved to her to bring the items up to him. With a groan of effort, Chang managed to fly up to his location, leaving the Dark Dragon below to secure the area in case any resistance arrived.

"Here are the items you requested," Chang announced as she placed the Dragon's Cauldron and the Phoenix Pendant down. But there was a hint of indignation in her voice, particularly when the stranger refused to turn and acknowledge her.

"Ah, the Dragon's Cauldron, formed from the molted skin of 1,000 dragons to enhance the properties of any magic it contains," the stranger boasted silently. "And the Phoenix Pendant, created to focus and concentrate enormous amounts of magical energies. With these two items, it should take no trouble at all to produce enough magical power to force open the dimensional barrier that holds the Dragon's Temple."

"Perhaps. But to produce this force will require an already potent level of magical energy to place inside the Dragon's Cauldron. What exactly did you have in mind?" Chang remarked, suddenly very thoughtful. But all the stranger offered in response at first was a wicked chuckle.

"You're right…there IS one more thing I require," he stated cryptically.

Before Chang could ask what he meant, however, the stranger slowly turned. And Chang's eyes went wide as she saw the stranger's face from behind his hood before he immediately lunged at her.

Meanwhile, Jake and Lao Shi had arrived at the temple grounds, landing just as the Dark Dragon turned to face them. Carrying Kim and the others up the peak, their power of flight had made the job easy. But they weren't the only ones ready for a fight. Rose, having had time in recent months to fully examine her stockpile of former Huntsclan weaponry, came equipped with a duffel bag containing anything she thought might be useful in the coming battle. Kim, meanwhile, had clearly come prepared as well for a second round with the Dark Dragon, now dressed in her battle suit. But Kim's change of clothes seemed to mean little to the Dark Dragon, who merely looked at his opponents with a sinister grin.

"Okay, first of all, here's a little hindsight advice," Kim announced, ready for action as she cracked her knuckles. "If you REALLY wanted this plan of yours to work, you TOTALLY picked the wrong boyfriend to brainwash."

"Hmph! As if the puny threats of an insignificant mortal mean anything to me," The Dark Dragon boasted. "Although you HAVE saved me the trouble, gathering my most hated enemies all together in this spot, of all places. Within moments, I will be free. And it will be most fitting that you all will taste a most bitter revenge at my hands."

Just then, a puff of glittering smoke appeared beside Kim and the others, revealing none other than Maximillion. Much to everyone's surprise, Max's clothes were completely in tatters as he stepped into view. But a quick straightening of his jacket lapels later and another puff of smoke appeared around him, easily mending the problem as he reappeared, completely unscathed.

"Sorry. I know I'm a little late," he noted.

"The Dragon's Council…What-Have-You-Done…?" Lao Shi asked with a trembling voice, fearing the worst.

"Nothing, nothing. Everything's fine," Max answered simply before turning to Lao Shi and handing a small piece of paper over to him. "Oh, by the way, on my way here, I took a minute to research the formula for this salve. Give it to that dude from Africa. Trust me, all he has to do is apply it to his jaw and I PROMISE he'll be eating solid food again by the end of the day."

"Aiyaa, oh please no…," Lao Shi shuddered under his breath, hiding his face in his hands.

While Jake and Rose were equally dumbfounded, Kim could only roll her eyes in response, hardly surprised at all. But Max had already put the matter behind him and was focusing on the situation at hand.

"Hmmm…Now I'm not sure, but your side seems to be short a few players. Now where do you suppose they could've…?" he remarked thoughtfully to the Dark Dragon. But, Max's question was about to be all-too quickly answered. Just then, a bright orange glow penetrated the darkness in the cliffs overhead…a glow that was most likely the result of dragon's fire.

"Come on, let's take a trip, shall we?" Max suggested, placing his hands on Jake and Rose's shoulders. Rufus, meanwhile, managed to scamper off Kim's shoulder and reach Max's pant leg just a split second before they transported away. But instantly, they were on cliffside, investigating the mysterious light. This, however, was of no significance to the Dark Dragon, who only became more confident in his upcoming victory as he viewed his remaining opponents.

"Hah! A mortal, a mongrel and a withered old dragon," he declared, looking at Kim, Fu and Lao Shi with menace. "Even THIS body's meager power is more than enough to handle the three of you!"

With that, the Dark Dragon wasted no time in charging forward, eager to prove his point. Lao Shi and Fu were quick to retreat to the sides, which only made the Dark Dragon's decision that much easier as he chose to focus his attack squarely on Kim, who simply stood her ground as the Dark Dragon surged forward with a crushing fist. The force of the blow shook the air, kicking up a streaming cloud of dust and blowing Kim's hair back like a stormy breeze. But to the Dark Dragon's shock, the attack had absolutely no effect on Kim at all, who had simply reached up and caught Ron's fist with minimal effort.

"Please. You call that a punch?" Kim stated, her hand tightening its grip. "Even with this battle suit on, there's no way I'd be able to stop Ron at his BEST. Looks like Max was right. As long as you have to keep Ron's mind suppressed, you can only use a LITTLE bit of his power, can't you?"

"You mortals are even more foolish than I ever dreamed if you're willing to gamble yourselves away on a theory like that!" The Dark Dragon argued, trying to demonstrate that he still had the upper hand. But Kim would have none of it as she pulled back with her arm, tossing the Dark Dragon over her head and sending him skidding along the ground.

"It's no gamble," she replied, turning around and tossing a warm smile at Ron's face, hidden behind the Dark Dragon's fearful image. "I trust Ron with my life…"

"…I love him."

"Uunnh…Kim…" Ron managed to groan, smiling weakly at Kim as he seemed to be regaining control. But it was only for a brief moment. Within seconds, the Dark Dragon growled in anger and reasserted himself, the image of his head enveloping Ron's becoming even clearer.

"We'll just see how much you talk when you see just how weak your pathetic love really is!" he bellowed, managing to force more of Ron's Mystical Monkey Power to the surface. Kim, however, wasn't about to back down for an instant as Lao Shi and Fu rejoined the battle at her side.

"Ron, I know you can hear me! Just listen!" she called out, taking her stance for what was to come. "This is going to get a little rough, Baby! But I PROMISE you, we're going to get through this! I just need you to hang on, okay?!"

The Dark Dragon simply roared in response as he charged ahead. Without a pause, Kim, Fu and Lao Shi ran in as well.

Meanwhile, Jake and Rose were making their way along the cliffside, investigating the strange glow that could only be where they'd find Chang and their mysterious enemy. And a few moments later, they'd found exactly that, with Chang standing over the Dragon's Cauldron, possessing a strong light coming from within. The hooded stranger, meanwhile, appeared to be lying on the floor several yards away, looking completely unconscious. It seemed as though either he tried to betray Chang or Chang betrayed him. Either way, he was the one who'd lost. Still, Jake and Rose needed some answers.

"Don't move Chang! We got ya beat! Now let's find out who THIS guy is!" Jake announced as Rose kept a Huntsclan staff trained on Chang, who curiously, made no sound or movement in response. But nothing could prepare Jake for the sight that greeted him as he knelt down and pulled the strangers hood back.

"What the…?!" he exclaimed, clearly confused, "BANANAS B.?!?!"

"Uuunnnnhh, my head. What happened, yo…?" Bananas B. groaned as he came to, only to screech in fright upon seeing Jake's face and scamper up onto a large rock. "Jake Long! What are YOU doing here?! Wait a minute, rewind it back…what am I doing here?!"

"Exactly what you were supposed to do," Chang's voice answered, still not turning to face Jake and Rose. "You can take him now if you wish. He has more than served his purpose."

"What's the deal, Chang?" Jake asked angrily. "'Cause ain't NOBODY leavin' until we get some answers here!"

"The perhaps you should be asking the right person," Max stated, walking up behind them. "Because the truth is…you're not talking to Chang anymore."

"Uh…say WHAT now?" Jake could only blurt out in a confused stupor.

"If she's not Chang, who IS she?" Rose immediately followed up, every bit as perplexed as Jake.

Max, however, didn't answer immediately. He simply gave a knowing smirk and a hollow chuckle before turning his attention to Chang, who simply remained every bit as motionless as when they'd arrived. It was only then that the words finally escaped his lips.

"Say hello…Le Fay."

Jake and Rose whirled around back to Chang in complete bewilderment. At that moment, Chang finally turned around. Her staff was in one hand, but the simple wooden pole in her other hand told the story all too well. Chang had indeed been taken over by the Le Fay spirit Kim and Ron had come across shortly after first meeting Max. And Rufus, who had scurried up to perch on Max's shoulder, could only swallow hard in response as Le Fay flashed an evil smirk though Chang's lips.

"I suppose NOW you're going to tell me that you knew all along…right?" Le Fay remarked sarcastically in Max's direction.

"I suspected…as soon as I realized the grandfather was right," Max replied with a smug grin of his own. "There was no way a rank amateur like Chang could have put this all together on her own. She HAD to be getting help from someone who knew a lot more than she did."

"Okay, hold up," Jake chimed in, interrupting the stare-down, "How 'bout lettin' US in on the gag, huh? Who's Le Fay?"

"She's a long story," Max answered quickly, "But to make it short…bottom line, she's in the stick over there. Anyone who touches the stick, becomes her. End of conversation."

"And believe me, I had to pass through MANY hands to get to this point. All the way from England, where I was dealt that humiliating defeat at the hands of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable…with your help, I might add," Le Fay went on. "Eventually, I ended up in the paws of that foolish little simian over there. But it was through HIS memories that I was able to sow the seeds of my eventual triumph."

"The magical fire from a powerful dragon, its power increased many times over through the magic of the Dragon's Cauldron," Le Fay continued, flashing the final piece of the puzzle. "All I need is to add this final element. And then, the dimensional barrier which conceals your precious Dragon Temple will be brought down, enabling me to restore the most powerful of all dragons to this world."

"But why? What's in it for YOU?" Rose could only ask, still unsure as to what the payoff was to Le Fay's plan. Le Fay, however, simply chuckled in reply as she looked over her newly acquired body.

"I must admit, I always wondered what it would be like to possess the body of a dragon," she answered with a sinister grin. "And now that I have, its untapped power is far beyond anything I ever could have imagined. I can see now why they were chosen so long ago to be the guardians of magic. With my knowledge and control of such a creature at my disposal…"

"…but this isn't even the STRONGEST one, now…is it?"

"Aaahh…the light dawns," Max deduced, realizing why Le Fay was indeed so fixated on releasing the Dark Dragon. "You want HIM."

"Well, if I TRULY wish to seek out the power of a dragon, how could I POSSIBLY settle for anything less?" Le Fay responded confidently. "In the end, they REALLY shouldn't have trusted me so completely. But their mutual lust for power simply reined in their better judgment, as I well knew it would. Creatures like them are so utterly predictable."

"And you ACTUALLY thought that overfed iguana was going to make you strong enough to beat ME?" Max had to ask with a hollow laugh before turning to Jake momentarily. "No offense."

"With HIS abilities…and OUR combined knowledge…?" Le Fay answered, "…I'm sure we could unearth objects of darkness that could make even the likes of YOU tremble in horror."

"Not on the Am-Drag's watch, Lady! You're goin' down HARD!" Jake announced, transforming into his dragon form and unleashing a stream of fire in Le Fay's direction. But he was caught completely by surprise as Le Fay conjured up a barrier, completely protecting her from his attack.

"How cute," she mocked as she lowered her barrier, planning to return the favor with a burst of Chang's own dragon fire. But this time it was Max's turn for a defense, erecting his own barrier, protecting both Jake and Rose.

"No kidding," he remarked as Le Fay sneered at him in contempt. But just then, he happened to turn his attention down from the cliff to see Kim's battle with the Dark Dragon continuing to rage at the site of the Dragon Temple.

"Oh boy, I'd better get back down there," he noted, taking Rufus in the palm of his hand. "Okay, you're gonna have to give them a hand, okay? I know you'll know what to do."

"O-kay!" Rufus chirped with a quick salute before jumping from Max's hand.

With that, Max leapt off the edge of the cliff as Jake and Rose charged forward to continue the fight against Le Fay. But Le Fay showed not even a hint of concern, crossing her staff with Chang's to double the power of its magical blasts and send Jake and Rose flying. Rose slammed into a rock face a moment later, trying desperately to get back on her feet. But Le Fay was already on her, looming overhead with a sinister laugh.

"This is a grown up game you're trying to play, little girl," she boasted menacingly, preparing to unleash Chang's staff once again. But just then, Jake streaked into view, letting loose with another stream of dragon fire which forced Le Fay to erect a barrier and back away.

"Hey! You show a little respect, okay?!" he shouted before turning to Rose and offering her his hand. "After all, she's MY girl."

"Thanks Jake," Rose replied softly as Jake helped her up. And in spite of the danger they were in, neither one could avoid looking into the other's eyes with a light smile before Rose's mind returned to the problem at hand.

"Listen, I've got something in the bag that might help," she suggested under her breath. "Can you keep her busy for just a few seconds?"

"You just TRY and hold me back," Jake responded wholeheartedly.

A moment later, he was whirling around and charging towards Le Fay again. Another stream of fire exploded from Jake, which met with no greater success than the first two, as Le Fay simply threw up another barrier to defend herself. But this time, Jake wasn't going for a successful attack. He was going for a diversion.

"Jake, turn it off!" Rose shouted, diving in from above wearing a pair of heavy gauntlets and boots, each with a diamond-shaped gemstone in the center.

Jake immediately did as he was told, realizing he'd done what he was supposed to do, giving Rose the time to get what she needed. Meanwhile, Le Fay could only stand and watch Rose's foolhardy attempt at an attack. After all, she couldn't possibly imagine this would work when Le Fay's barriers had proven to be completely impenetrable. But as Rose's fist made contact, the entire shield vanished like a fragile soap bubble. And a shocked Le Fay had barely enough time to dodge as Rose's fist slammed into the ground. What had just happened? How was it possible that Rose had penetrated her defenses so effortlessly?

"Surprised?" Rose asked teasingly as she flashed one of her gauntlets in Le Fay's direction, "The gems in these gloves and boots are used to disrupt the flow of magical energies…"

"…What are those force fields of yours made of again?"

… … … …

Down at the site of the Dragon's Temple, the Dark Dragon was becoming increasingly frustrated in his fight with Kim. He'd completely lost count of the number of times Kim had dumped him on his face. And the indignation was only worse as Kim jumped on top of him, with Lao Shi and Fu right behind, holding him down on the ground.

"What's wrong?" Kim taunted into Ron's ear so the Dark Dragon could really hear it. "Didn't you say we were just a mortal, a mongrel and a withered old dragon? You said you had enough power to take us all on, so what's the problem?"

"Maybe you're not as tough as you think you are."

As Kim whispered in Ron's ear, the Dark Dragon's eyes began to glow with a searing rage and hatred. He'd heard quite enough. To hear a mere mortal address him in such a manner…it was unforgivable! This was the last he was going to endure of this humiliation! Ignoring the risks, the Dark Dragon put everything he had into his next move, releasing what looked dangerously close to Ron's full power and reared back, sending Kim and the others flying. Fu, in particular, was REALLY sent for a ride, flying up into the higher cliffs. Kim, meanwhile, had other concerns as she tried to get to her feet, but turned around in shock to see the Dark Dragon charging towards her, with a faint Mystical Monkey Power glow around Ron's body.

"This will silence your disrespectful tongue once and for all, you prattling, insignificant…!" he roared as he lashed out towards Kim with a tightly clenched fist.

WHAP!

Kim couldn't help but flinch at the Dark Dragon's attack bearing down on her. But as she opened her eyes, she immediately realized that she hadn't been struck. But what was even more surprising was the sight that had greeted her next. Ron had actually stepped into the Dark Dragon's punch from his own fist and had caught it tightly in his free hand, struggling to fend it off. There was only one thing that could mean.

"RON!" Kim shouted, overjoyed as the Dark Dragon's image began slowly fading.

"WHAT?!" The Dark Dragon growled, trying to regain control. But it was already too late. His wounded ego had blinded him to the consequences and he'd opened up too much of Ron's mind in order to access more of his power. Now his influence was waning and Ron was clearly reasserting himself. But it wasn't without a fight.

"K…K-Kim…?" Ron whimpered desperately, looking into Kim's eyes for support as he still tried to hold his own fist at bay.

"Ssssshhhh…it's okay. Don't worry," Kim whispered, reaching up and gently cradling Ron's face in her hands, "I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

Without a pause, Kim slowly leaned in, pressing her lips to Ron's in a deep, long kiss. She wasn't sure what a kiss might accomplish, but she knew it worked in fairy tales. And if this day didn't qualify as a fairy tale, then what DID? A few seconds later, though, and she could actually feel Ron kissing her back. And to Kim, that was already a good sign. Suddenly, a thin stream of magical energy snaked through the air and wrapped itself around the Amulet of Mind's Eye.

"HOOOOOO-WEEEEEEE DAWGIES! Ah dun cawt me a BIG wun!" Max howled jokingly with a wild laugh as he yanked back on his cane, pulling the energy stream it was attached to taut. A second later, the amulet snapped off Ron's neck and clattered onto the ground.

"NOOOOOOOOoooooooo…!" The Dark Dragon bellowed in fury, the image of his head vanishing into wisps of nothing as Kim and Ron's kiss continued. A moment later, their lips parted and Kim couldn't help but smile as she looked into Ron's eyes and realized with absolute certainty that she finally had Ron back.

"KP?" Ron uttered, hoping his ordeal was finally over and that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him.

"Oh, Ron…," Kim sighed happily as she threw her arms around his neck. And Ron instantly pulled her close, savoring the moment as the two simply held each other tight, neither one willing to let the other go for even a second.

… … … …

Back on the cliff overlooking the site of the Dragon Temple, Le Fay was having no better luck in her battle with Jake and Rose. As soon as Rose brought her new gauntlets and boots into play, with their ability to disrupt magic, Le Fay had lost the advantage of relying on her barriers for protection. With one series of swift, fluid strikes after another, Rose was popping her shields every bit as fast as Le Fay could raise them. Still, if Rose was all she had to worry about, she might still have been able to hold her own. But having to fend off Jake's attacks as well, Le Fay was being forced to deal with simply one thing too many. And if that wasn't enough, Rose and Jake were leading her further and further away from the Dragon's Cauldron, with the Phoenix Pendant still in her hand.

"Oh, man, what a night. I'm never mixin' wet cat food with dry dog food again," Fu groaned, stumbling onto the battlefield in a haze. He'd been knocked so hard after getting thrown by the Dark Dragon, he'd completely forgotten where he was. But he got a quick enough reminder as a stray blast from Chang's staff struck the ground in front of him, causing him to yelp in fright.

Le Fay, meanwhile, was quickly losing her window of opportunity. The fire in the Dragon's Cauldron had already reached the peak of its intensity. If she didn't add the Phoenix Pendant now, the flames would soon begin to dwindle and she might lose the power she needed to open the dimensional barrier. And she already knew there was no way she could win this fight alone. Even if she couldn't possess the Dark Dragon right away, she at least needed him as an ally to help even the odds.

Le Fay had to act fast. Using Chang's wings to whisk herself away from Jake and Rose's relentless assault, she tossed the Phoenix Pendant towards the Dragon's Cauldron, taking a moment to charge it with magic so it would fly directly where she wanted it to. Unfortunately, Jake and Rose were too far away to catch it and could only watch in shock as the pendant sailed straight and true towards its target.

Just then, Fu suddenly came running into the picture. Leaping over the Dragon's Cauldron, he managed to catch the Phoenix Pendant in his teeth before it went in and landed safely on the other side.

"Alright Fu!" Jake shouted as Le Fay could only look on in disbelief.

"You're good to go, kid!" Fu called back, "Now wrap this up!"

Le Fay turned her attention back to Jake and Rose, glaring in anger. Clearly, she had had just about enough of these annoyances. Crossing her staff with Chang's, Le Fay prepared to launch a monstrous surge of magical energy in her opponents' direction. Suddenly, a sharp pain drilled into her arm, breaking her concentration and dispelling the magic. Instantly, Le Fay looked down to see what had happened. While she had been distracted fighting Jake and Rose, Rufus had climbed into Chang's robe, sinking his teeth into her wrist at just the right moment.

Rufus, meanwhile, simply offered a playful wave as Le Fay glowered in rage. But fortunately, her diverted attention and her loosened grip on the staff due to Rufus' bite gave Rose the perfect moment to strike. Dashing in, she lashed out with a roundhouse kick, knocking Le Fay's staff out of her hand and sending it spiraling into the air as Chang collapsed to her knees in a daze.

"I got it! I got it!" Jake shouted, following the staff with his eyes as he flew backward.

"Jake, you're not supposed to touch it!" Rose shouted in panic.

"Oh, right!" Jake remembered, quickly coming up with a second plan and breathing a stream of fire towards the staff. Curiously, the staff refused to burn, but the force from Jake's blast still sent it streaking into the night sky like a shooting star as Rose ran up to him.

"Oh…what would you do without me," Rose sighed, cupping one of Jake's hands with her own.

"You know what? I don't even want to know," Jake answered, folding his free hand over hers. And as their eyes met, the two couldn't help but let themselves get lost in the feelings they knew they were sharing at that moment.

Fu, meanwhile, was more than happy to let Jake and Rose have their moment, polishing the Phoenix Pendant on his fur and preparing to walk off quietly. After all, the danger was passed. Unfortunately, the first step he took slammed his foot right into the searing hot, rock hard surface of the Dragon's Cauldron.

"Gi…! OW, OW, OOO, OOO, OUCH, OUCH, OOO, OOO, OW!" Fu howled in pain, throwing his front paws up before grabbing his injured foot. Unfortunately, in doing so, the Phoenix Pendant slipped out of his hands, flying in a high arc straight back down towards the Dragon's Cauldron!

"NO!" Jake and Rose cried out together. But it was too late.

Almost instantly after plunging into the fire contained within the Dragon's cauldron, the Phoenix Pendant gave off a blinding flash. And a thin stream of light shot up from the pendant's jewel, streaking into the night sky until it struck what appeared to be an invisible wall. A moment later, a swirling mass of light appeared and within seconds, the Dragon's Temple appeared around Kim and the others, exactly where it was supposed to. But that wasn't the only thing that appeared as the enormous frame of the Dark Dragon slammed into the temple floor, his smile a mix of joy and menace.

"I'm free again…I'M FREE AGAIN!!!" he hissed, then shouted, his voice rising to an almost deafening roar of laughter. Meanwhile, Jake, Rose and Rufus could only look down from the cliff in stunned silence.

"Uh, heh heh…woopsy," Fu stammered with a frightened chuckle.

The sight of the Dark Dragon raging inside the Dragon's Temple left everyone at a loss as to exactly what to do. But the distraction was enough for Chang to recover, shaking the cobwebs out of her head.

"Unnnh, where am I? What hap…?" Chang thought out loud until she saw Jake and Rose standing just a few steps away. "Jake Long, what are YOU doing here! I will not allow you to…!"

WHAM!

Chang's words were cut off as Jake and Rose whirled around angrily. A fist from Rose and a swing from Jake's tail was all it took to send Chang flying as she bounced down the side of the peak and disappeared into the darkness.

"We SO don't have time for this," Jake stated as he and Rose checked to make sure Chang was really gone.

"I hear THAT," Rose replied.

With that, Jake collected Rose, Fu and Rufus and flew back down towards the temple. Meanwhile, the distraction was enough for Bananas B., who had taken care to stay out of sight for most of the battle, to climb down the peak in search of Chang.

The Dark Dragon was still in the midst of his celebration when Jake and the others reached the temple, landing beside Lao Shi and Max. As he continued to bellow in laughter, lightning from his hands struck in all directions, nearly engulfing the entire temple in clouds of swirling dust.

"At last!" he boasted excitedly, "Now, the world is MINE!"

"That's what you think, Tall, Dark and…!" Jake shouted as he and Rose prepared to move in. But Lao Shi suddenly stepped in front of them with an outstretched arm, barring their way.

"Jake, wait!" he called cautiously.

"Gramps, what are you doing?!" Jake yelled back. Just then, Max stepped in front of them as well, flashing a confident smirk in Jake's direction.

"He's right, kid. Don't worry…this one's in the bag," he stated, raising his sunglasses to toss Jake a playful wink. "Trust me."

Jake and Rose simply looked on as they were told, unsure of what exactly was going to happen as the Dark Dragon continued laughing in sadistic glee. Just then, a figure slowly began to appear as none other than Kim Possible strode out of the dust, her lips curled in a positive smile. And being the first person he finally noticed, Kim was as good a candidate as any to be the first to feel the Dark Dragon's wrath as he loomed over her with wicked intentions.

"And NOW, little girl, you are about to learn a lesson in TRUE power!" he boasted a loudly as he could. But his words held no sway over Kim, who simply crossed her arms as she maintained her smug grin.

"Oh, SOMEBODY'S going to be learning a lesson, alright," she replied, looking quite sure of herself. "But it's NOT going to be who you think."

Unsure of what Kim meant, the Dark Dragon simply regarded her with a glare of contempt as he roared to the sky and prepared to attack. But just then, a second image slowly stood up in the clouds of dust behind Kim. A moment later, all the dust the Dark Dragon had raised was suddenly blown up against the walls of the temple, as if kicked up by an angry wind. And in that instant, the figure behind Kim immediately became clear, as it was Ron standing behind her. His eyes were closed angrily and his fists clenched tight, but the most notable feature was his Mystical Monkey Power glow, which was shimmering at its fullest intensity. And at that moment, it was enough to give even the Dark Dragon pause.

"You made me fight my girlfriend," Ron hissed through his teeth. Just then, his eyes snapped open as his head whipped around, looking the Dark Dragon right in the face with a wild-eyed glare.

"YOU MADE ME FIGHT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!!"

Suddenly, the entire floor of the Dragon Temple mysteriously shattered under Ron's feet, as if smashed by an invisible force. The force field from Kim's battle suit kept her from losing her footing, but Jake and Lao Shi flew upward with Rose, Rufus and Fu as the ground was crushed beneath them. Even the Dark Dragon instinctively took to the skies, unsure of what had just happened. They all landed a moment later as the ground settled, which was exactly when Ron made his next move, surging ahead with a yell of rage.

"You've already defied my power once, boy!" the Dark Dragon growled, raising his clawed hand to strike Ron, who was still charging in blindly. "But I assure you, this will be the last time!"

Ron had made no effort to dodge as the Dark Dragon brought his hand down. And the Dark Dragon definitely felt the force of the impact as his blow made contact. He smirked at first, satisfied at a successful attack against a puny mortal with inferior magic. But it took him a second to see what had really happened. And his eyes widened in shock to see Ron not only unharmed, but holding back the Dark Dragon's whole arm with only one hand pressed against his palm. And he didn't seem to be exerting any effort at all in the process. It was as if…he'd just caught a punch from a TODDLER. Even Jake and the others could only look on from the sidelines, lost in complete disbelief.

"No…"

"…way," Rose finished Jake's thought, both of them frozen with stunned eyes and hanging jaws.

"Incredible…the Mystical Monkey Power of Tai Shing Pec Whar," Lao Shi uttered under his breath. "I had heard so many legends, but never could I have IMAGINED…"

Ron, however, was in no mood for praise as the fury in his eyes refused to fade, the knuckles of his free hand crackling into a tight fist. Shaking off his astonishment, the Dark Dragon raised his other hand and prepared to strike again. But Ron was faster on the draw, snapping forward and driving his fist hard into the Dark Dragon's chest, stopping him dead in his tracks. Stunned by shock and pain, The Dark Dragon only seemed able to let out a few short, broken rasps as his whole body trembled from the impact of Ron's blow.

Jake and the others felt like their eyes were going to pop out of their heads, even more astonished than they were before. All except Kim, who suddenly streaked in beside Ron and leaped up high. A second later, the Dark Dragon's head snapped back as Kim tagged him under the jaw with a backwards flip kick, finally toppling him to the ground in a heap.

"Kim?" Ron blurted out, finally appearing to have snapped out of his frenzy.

"Oh, come on," Kim responded with a playful look, "I want a piece of this guy, too."

Ron could only respond with a light smile, his mood clearly lifting. The Dark Dragon, however, wasn't nearly as entertained, bellowing in fury after he slowly managed to recover.

"I will not be made fun of with these childish games!" he shouted, conjuring up a swirling mass of shadows from his hands.

Within seconds, the shadows took form and suddenly, the entire temple was filled with hundreds of the Dark Dragon's trademark Shade Demons, most of them hovering around Kim and Ron. But just then, thousands of beams of light pierced the air, striking each and every one of the Shade Demons and destroying them even faster than the Dark Dragon had summoned them. Whirling around in the direction the light had come, it was obvious what had happened as the Dark Dragon saw Max standing with Jake and the others. An intense ball of light, almost like a miniature sun, could be seen shimmering in the palm of Max's raised hand before he closed his fist and finally extinguished it.

"Uh, uh, uh," he taunted with a wicked grin, wagging his finger in the Dark Dragon's direction, "No ringers."

The Dark Dragon could only growl with contempt as he glared towards Max. But he didn't have time for such concerns as Ron struck again, slamming his fist into the ground and sending a wave of earth in the Dark Dragon's direction. Just as he did before, the Dark Dragon took to flight, but this time, he had no intention of landing. So far, Ron had been focusing on a strictly physical attack. If the Dark Dragon could just stay out of Ron's strike zone, he would still have the advantage.

But the Dark Dragon wasn't in store for such luck as he looked down to see Ron twirling through the air towards him, his legs spiraling like helicopter blades. Before the Dark Dragon could react, Ron had reached him, slamming his foot into the side of his head with a thunderous kick. At that moment, Kim came up from behind, running along the roof of the Dragon Temple and leaping into the air. Curling her body, Kim flipped end over end countless times before straightening out and landing hard, planting her feet into the Dark Dragon's back and sending him crashing back down to earth. Desperately, the Dark Dragon tried to get up as he growled and sputtered. But he had no hope of recovery as Ron came screaming across the courtyard, driving two open-palmed fists square into the Dark Dragon's side and smashing his entire body into the temple wall.

But it still wasn't over…

Landing in the middle of the courtyard, Kim braced herself hard and activated the Proton Cannon from the left wrist of her battle suit, the barrel flashing wildly. Ron immediately picked up on her hint as he jumped back, landing behind Kim and grabbing her left arm as his free hand draped around her waist. Within seconds, Kim's battle suit began to glow more brightly as its new ability to absorb energy began feeding off the magical energy from Ron's Mystical Monkey Power. Energy that was immediately transferred to the Proton Cannon as Kim let loose with an enormous, white hot beam which headed straight towards the Dark Dragon. The beam struck the Dark Dragon hard in the chest, just as he was emerging from the rubble of the temple wall. And not only was he sent flying through the wall, but into a rock face on the other side, losing consciousness and slumping to the ground as the falling rocks partially buried him.

Jake and the others were still in a haze of amazement as Ron powered down and turned to Kim, their fingers intertwining as he moved in closer and pressed his forehead to hers. But then suddenly, Jake, Rose and Fu finally snapped out of their stunned silence and began letting loose with wild cheers. Lao Shi, meanwhile, simply responded with an approving nod as Max flashed a confident grin in Kim and Ron's direction.

"Aw, yeah! Was that off-the-hook or WHAT?!" Jake hooted and hollered. "I ain't NEVER seen ANYONE bring the hurt like THAT before!"

It was nothing but smiles and applause as Rufus scampered across the courtyard, running up to Ron's shoulder and happily hugging his face. And Ron was all too happy to get have his girlfriend and his mole rat back as Kim leaned in and kissed his other cheek. But just then, Fu happened to look up into the sky and the celebration was instantly ground to a halt.

"Uh guys, hate to be a damper on the hayride," he shuddered, pointing up to the sky. "But…is that still supposed to be there?"

Instantly, everyone looked up, only to be stunned as the dimensional rift that had released the Dragon Temple was still lingering in the sky above. Even Lao Shi was completely bewildered as to what was happening. But Max seemed to understand the situation all too well as he slapped his forehead in frustration.

"Oh, great," he groaned. "I was afraid this would happen."

"What didn't you tell us NOW?!" Kim called over, anticipating that this was another one of those situations she should be starting to feel very annoyed about.

"This is why I said it was risky! Essentially, the magic they used knocked a hole in another dimension!" Max explained. "You can't just kick down a door and expect it to close up behind you again! ESPECIALLY when we're talking about a door like this which only opens at certain times! Pocket dimensions don't like getting woken up early!"

"Great! So how do we FIX it?!" Rose shouted sarcastically.

"Pocket dimensions require balance. So if we're lucky, the rift will just try to re-absorb the temple," Max answered. "If it does, then the problem should just fix itself."

"And if it doesn't?" Ron had to ask.

But Ron didn't have to wait for an answer as the rift suddenly transformed into a vacuum, sucking up the Dragon temple. Unfortunately, it was also sucking up everything…and EVERYONE…that happened to be inside it.

"Okay, he REALLY has to be quicker with these explanations," Kim sighed, rolling her eyes as she fired her grapple into the wall by the temple entrance.

Ron was quick to pluck Rufus off his shoulder, holding him tight in his hand as Kim swung them out of the temple entrance. Max, meanwhile, teleported Jake and the others outside just as the first pieces of the temple were beginning to get drawn into the vortex. Within seconds, the rest of the temple sucked away into the opening, with Kim and the others staying as far away as possible to make sure it closed. But even as the last bits of the temple had disappeared, the rift still refused to seal itself.

"I don't get it! Why isn't it closing?!" Jake exclaimed, his voice panicked. "There's nothing left!"

"Oh yes there IS! HIM!" Max replied, pointing over towards the Dark Dragon, who was finally beginning to stir from under the crumbled rock face.

"His body must have become mystically linked to the temple when he went through the first time!" Lao Shi deduced, "As such, he is now PART of the temple! The rift will not close unless he goes back through it!"

"…rrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRR NO!!" the Dark Dragon shouted, suddenly springing to life as he burst from the rubble and thundered forward, grabbing Kim and Ron tightly in his hands. "I won't go back! Or at least, I won't go alone!"

Acting quickly, Jake transformed and struck, blowing a wave of dragon's fire while Rose fired a blast from her Huntsclan spear. Just then, Max appeared behind them and with a twist of his hand, the two streams spiraled together into one swirling attack, striking the Dark Dragon in the face and causing him to lose his grip on Kim and Ron. But now it was Kim and Ron's turn as they both leaped up, Ron's Mystical Monkey Powered fist crossing with Kim's jump kick across the Dark Dragon's skull, forcing him to collapse to the ground once more.

With the Dark Dragon struggling to rise, it was time to bring the battle to an end as Max leaped over Jake and Rose, slamming the end of his cane into the ground. Suddenly, an explosion of magical energy erupted from the earth, carrying the Dark Dragon off like a tidal wave and sending him flying towards the vortex. Whirling inside as he entered, the Dark Dragon could only bellow in fury as the rift finally sealed, itself, allowing everyone else to breathe a sigh of relief as Max simply clapped off his hands in satisfaction.

… … … …

The endless glitter of the Hong Kong skyline was even more beautiful from the heights of Victoria Peak than it was from when Kim saw it on the balcony of Rose's apartment. But again, to Kim, it couldn't have been any less meaningful. There was only one thing she had on her mind at that moment as she sat curled up in Ron's lap, feeling his arms around her as they traded a series of soft kisses, one after another.

"Now…what did we learn about picking up strange jewelry?" she joked, pulling back for just a moment as she gently tickled Ron under his chin.

"Uh…yeah, point taken, good safety tip from now on," Ron answered, taking a moment to savor Kim trailing feathery kisses across his cheek before turning and tenderly pressing his forehead to hers. "Thanks for getting him out of my head, KP."

"Well, somebody should have warned him," Kim stated, tracing little circles on Ron's chest as she looked lovingly into his eyes. "If I don't get my designated cuddle time with my Baby once a day…I get REEEEEEEAALLY nasty."

"Uh-oh," Ron noted playfully. "I think I need to do something about that."

"Mmmmm, I think you'd BETTER," Kim replied with a blissful grin, grabbing the lapels of Ron's jacket and pulling him close, softly nuzzling his nose. Another set of soft kisses danced across their lips a moment later, finally growing into one long, deep kiss as they moved in tight. A moment later, they held each other close as they snuggled cheek to cheek, allowing the rest of the world to simply fade away.

"Wow. Even after everything the Dark Dragon made him do, she never gave up on him," Jake uttered as he stood alongside Rose, neither one of them able to resist a quick spy on Kim and Ron before they turned away behind a big rock. "It's kinda unreal, huh?"

"No it isn't," Rose sighed, turning away from Jake as she felt a twinge of guilt coming over her. "Jake, listen…I don't think I've been very fair to you the last couple of days."

"Huh? No…Rose, it's okay, really," Jake replied, trying to be reassuring. "Look, just forget…"

"It's just…we went through so much to get to this point…I mean, me in the Huntsclan and then me NOT in the Huntsclan…," Rose went on, cutting Jake off. "And now, we've FINALLY got all that behind us, we're FINALLY on the same page and I…just want it all right NOW, you know?"

"Yeah, I do," Jake answered with a solemn nod.

"But then, you're all the way over there and I'm all the way over here…and it's just so FRUSTRATING!" Rose continued. "And the last few times, I've tried to talk to you about it, but you've just been so calm and laid back about everything. And I know I shouldn't think this way, but I just couldn't help wondering if you really felt the same way I do and…"

"Rose, listen to me," Jake blurted out, now his turn to cut Rose off as he took her hands in his and looked up at her, pausing only for a hollow chuckle. "Oh, man…you're probably gonna think this is the lamest thing I've ever said, but I swear to you right now, it is ABSOLUTELY the truth…"

"What?" Rose asked, her soft voice prompting Jake to take a deep, trembling breath before he answered.

"It's just…the thing is…Rose…the first time you ever looked at me…I knew I'd been waiting my whole life for you," he uttered, looking deeply into her eyes so she could see it was true. "I guess maybe I just figured…I'd waited THIS long, right? So what's a little longer? I just…KNEW we were meant to be together…"

"I don't care about days or weeks or months or even YEARS, okay? I NEED you, Rose. And I'll wait for you…as long as it takes."

Rose didn't say anything at first, looking on at Jake, almost in stunned silence. And Jake wasn't sure exactly what more he could do or say to move the conversation along until Rose suddenly leaned in, meeting his lips in a soft, lingering kiss. It was only when they broke away and Jake opened his eyes that he saw Rose's real response, looking at him with a warm, loving smile.

"Believe me, Jake. There isn't a girl on the planet who would think that was lame," she voiced, gently gliding her hand along Jake's cheek, "Especially not me."

There didn't seem to be anything more that needed to be said as Jake and Rose hugged each other close before walking down the peak, holding hands and enjoying the view. Meanwhile, Max, Lao Shi and Fu were doing the best they could to look away from both pairs of lovebirds and give them their privacy.

"Well…looks like the party's winding down," Max observed, taking another quick look around before he put his hands on Fu and Lao Shi's shoulders and started guiding them down the peak. "Come on, they're not going anywhere. I say we hit the Mahjong tables for a couple hours."

"I say, I like the way he thinks," Fu added, chuckling in anticipation.

"I only have one question," Lao Shi asked with a suspicious glint in his eye. "What EXACTLY did you do to the Dragon's Council? I want to know EVERYTHING."

"Nothing, nothing. Just relax," Max answered, turning away for a minute. "That's reminds me though, just give me a minute."

Back on the Island of Draco, a spent Dragon's Council and their equally battered representatives were still trapped in the Council Chamber, due to Max's barrier over the entrance. However, Max had also thrown up an observing spell, like a glittering television screen, that allowed them all to see everything that had happened since he arrived at Victoria Peak. And they were just watching him leading Lao Shi and Fu away, when Max suddenly turned and walked over to face them. The barrier around the entrance even started to lift as Max leaned in and lowered his glasses for the Council's benefit.

"Told ya it wouldn't happen," he announced smugly, tossing the Dragon's Council a playful wink before raising his sunglasses. And as Max turned away, laughing in amusement, the observing spell swirled away into glittering wisps.

… … … …

"Oh, for sure we're gettin' together tonight…Dream charms it is…Yeah…Yeah, I love you too. Bye, Rose," Jake replied as he snapped his cell phone shut and turned back into the Spudinski family restaurant.

Kim, Ron and Max were already inside, sitting at a table with Trixie and Spud. Trixie was babbling on and on in her typical shrill way. But finally, she pulled out her cell phone and set the digital camera function, holding her arm out so she could get a picture of her and Kim sitting side by side.

"Aw, yeah! Now that's what I'M talkin' about!" Trixie announced excitedly after the phone clicked. "Ain't nobody gonna tell ME that I didn't get to spend the day with Kim Possible! You better believe I'm gonna be bloggin' about this AAAAAAAALL night!"

"No big. I figured it was the least I could do," Kim replied with a shrug before flashing a stern glare in Max's direction. "I mean, after what a certain SOMEBODY did…"

"Don't look at me," Max stated calmly with a sip of his tea, not even acknowledging her, "YOU'RE the one who was in a hurry."

"And besides…it looks like Ron has yet another name to add to his fan base," Kim added as she and Trixie turned the other way to observe Spud.

"This…is the coolest guy…I've ever met!" Spud declared, shoving Rufus into Trixie's face. "Look! He's got a naked mole rat for a pet! Isn't he cute?! You wanna hold him?!"

"Uh…I'll pass," Trixie answered dryly, lighting pushing Spud back. But this refused to deter Spud as he clutched Rufus and ran past Ron into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I kinda like this kid," Ron commented, sitting down beside Kim. "It's like I keep saying, KP…naked mole rats…pets of the future. It's nice to see that there are people out there who can see that Ron Stoppable KNOWS what he's talkin' about."

"Statistically, I suppose SOMEBODY has to," Kim replied before following up with a kiss on Ron's cheek and a playful smile so he would know that she was only teasing.

"Hey Mom, check THIS out! You wanna…?!" Spud called from the kitchen, only to be answered with screams from his mother, followed by clattering pots and pans and crashing silverware.

"RUFUS!!!" Ron shrieked as he ran into the kitchen. Kim, meanwhile, could only shake her head as the ruckus continued in the back.

"Huh!" Max suddenly blurted out for no reason as he took a sip of his tea.

"What's up?" Jake asked as he sat down at an adjoining table.

"Well, it's nothing really, I guess. It's just that with everything that's happened…I KNOW I've forgotten something," Max answered, pausing to take another sip. "I mean, I know it's nothing IMPORTANT. It's just one of those things that I know is gonna drive me nuts until I remember it."

Max simply kept on sipping his tea in the restaurant, trying to think of exactly what it was that he forgot about. Meanwhile, in a farmer's field in New Jersey, an innocent grazing cow suddenly let out a curious "Moo!" as Hans Rotwood shambled by, still lost in a daze.

"Yes, I will…go away now…," Rotwood replied as he staggered on through the field, making his way to parts unknown.

"Yes, I will…go away now…,"

The End


End file.
